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I'm travelling into a new way of working, a new country, a new language, and a new hobby which I'm passionate about. Come with me for some of the journey...

Monday, 26 September 2016

Rainbow Wheels

Hello all! I know, I know... I'm a shockingly poor blogger at the moment. We're arriving at the sharp end of the production, the last few rehearsals before we head into technical rehearsals at the beginning of October, and then dress rehearsals, and then opening, so it's pretty full on.

It's still good for my soul to play craftily in my hours off, though, so here's just a quick peek at one of the main ingredients in my travelling stash, and how I've been entertaining myself in my hotel room in between times.

When I was staying with Cestina in the Czech Republic earlier this summer, we found some brilliant little watercolour sets made by Koh-i-Noor (a Czech company) for the equivalent of only a few pounds... so no need even to try to resist temptation!

There are four wheels with six colours each and they stack in a very neat and tidy little bundle, less than three inches across and 1.5 in height - so they were an easy pick for the travelling craft stash, along with some water brushes.

Obviously, the USA is a place where it's all too easy to augment my limited supplies. I bought a large watercolour pad at Michaels in the first week, and then succumbed to some stamps designed by the very fabulous Andrea Ockey Parr of Snapping Monsters.

It was mainly the colour wheel which caught my eye, but I'm having great fun playing with the whole set - a delightful step sideways from my usual style of stamp (more of those games another time).

These colour mixing pages were just the results of me taking the colour wheel out for its first spin (sorry, couldn't resist that one!). It's also a good way of testing out the Koh-i-Noors, and great practice for me in handling watercolour as a medium.Each sheet uses just the colours from one layer of the watercolour set, mixing an intermediate colour at each stage to double my colour tones at a stroke.

The joys of having the colour wheel as a stamp are a) that I can stamp it straight onto watercolour paper to play with and b) I can stamp it as often as I like.

That means I can carry on mixing to my heart's content.Obviously the next stage will be a page with some of the reds and oranges from different layers combined.

And then one with the blues and greens from different layers, and so on and so forth... The variations will end up being almost endless.The white has a pearlescent effect in it, and is also slightly opaque, so that will alter every colour it comes in contact with.

The rest of each page is just me cleaning the water brush between colours, while enjoying creating different strokes and pigment intensity.

So, nothing mind-bending for you today - just a touch of playtime and a little travelling stash reveal. I'll share more some time of what I chose to bring along if you're interested, and we're heading for a Tag Friday over at A Vintage Journey at the end of this week, so I'll be back then with another tag created with my hotel supplies.Thanks so much for stopping by, and I'll see you again soon.

I'll dip my brush into the sunrise, and the sunset, and the rainbow.
From The Barretts of Wimpole Street, a 1930s play by Rudolf Besier

25 comments:

YAY!! What a treat to see such a fantastic project! You know I love your aesthetic and these pages are so full of energy and creativity! It's an honor to see this stamp set used in such a clever and useful way. Thanks for making the color wheel look so fabulous!!

A brilliant way to spend an hour or two, the colours are gorgeous, the wheel stamp is perfect and I love how you have used it with the watercolour blocks. Sounds like you are incredibly busy so I can understand why you want to switch off by immersing yourself and be engrossed in something that takes you off into a completely different creative world. Enjoy and have a great week xxx

When I saw the first pic I couldn't believe it was your blog Alison. So lovely to see splashes of vibrant colour with those colour wheels. Stop working so hard then we can see more of your lovely watercolouring adventure.

Seriously, how can you even take so much with you and then collect along the way?!! Your packing skills must be at a Martha Stewart level! LOVE your find with your mother...the sets are wonderful and love the container. Awesome color wheels and so artsy looking too! Break a leg on the show! BTW...what state are you in?

How fun Alison,I actually have the exat same Koh-i-Noors set, and found it in a Danish Flying Tiger shop. They are great colors, and the way you used them, so wonderful,- you have it in your hands ,to paint with watercolors, dear. Such great set to bring with you, and have fun when "home" at the hotels. I wish you more fun, Thank you for showing this !! xoxoxo

A lovely post Alison! I'm grateful, for at least two reasons: first, you may find this strange, but I have such one of such Koh-i-Noors sets (the red-orange one) and I don't play very often with it.. almost forgotten to tell you the truth. But it's a beautiful and well-thought product, so I have no reason at all to not use it anymore.. So, my wish is now to do something with it as soon as possible!! Especially as it adds to my current watercolour paints palette! (and as I said, I had totally forgottn it...).And the second reason is that it's always interesting to know some new or more crafty and artsy artist.. Didn't know this lady, so thanks for the link! Good luck for all the coming rehearsals, and don't worry about blogging, you will come back later when you can. Hugs, Coco xx

What a fabulous idea Alison and the splashes of colour look so beautiful too.Strangely enough I have one of those stacking watercolour sets too which was kindly given to me by the lovely Shari Carroll of Hero Arts at the NEC a while back. With your inspiration I think I might need to dig it out of my stash.Good luck with all the rehearsals and hope the show is all you wish for.Fliss xx

I know people who rave about that brand of colors. What you've done is fabulous even if it is just working sheets. It makes me want to break out the water colors and be artistic. LOL! I think I'll sit down until *that* feeling passes.

So glad to see you are keeping in touch with your wonderful visual art side as well in the midst of a busy schedule! Wish I could say the same - hopefully in November once I get past moving most of my worldly goods, including most of my stash, to the other coast! Thank you for the tip about these wonderful little discs of watercolor - I've been looking for something small to take with me to Central America in late January, as I will be there 5 weeks..... your post is such an inspiration!! And love that stamp!! xxx Lynn

I love anything rainbow, so I love your colour charts, what a great stamp that is - you've made me want to get my paint out and play! The stackable paints are fab - so compact and convenient and a bargain too. I really appreciate you taking the time to drop by my blog earlier, especially as you are sounding super-busy.Diana xx

Beyond thrilled to be one of Tim Holtz's

About Me

My name is Alison, and I'm a completely addicted crafter. Although I've done bits and pieces most of my life, this whole world of stashes and challenges and talented, inspirational crafters has blown me away since I discovered it in summer 2012.
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All content on this page, including text, photos and designs are copyright Alison Bomber. They are made available for personal inspiration, but please do not use them for profit or gain by means of publication or contest submissions without written permission. Many thanks.